Protectionism in all its forms should be rejected, says Sushma Swaraj

Swaraj's statement at the SCO in Beijing comes in the wake of Chinese, as well as Japanese, concerns at the US increasing trade barriers

India on Tuesday said protectionism in all its forms should be rejected. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s remarks against protectionism and trade barriers were made during her address to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Beijing.

Her speech indicated that New Delhi shared China’s concern over US protectionism, and also suggested mutual concerns on the issue are likely to feature prominently during Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s ‘informal summit’ in Wuhan, the capital of the Hubei province in central China, later this week.

However, India did not endorse China’s controversial Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) at the SCO